Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-09-09
The Tobacco Situation Figures
Show a Certain Deficit.

The Western Tobacco journal o
Cincinnati. in carefully prepared
article, endeavors to prove, conclusive
ly, we think, from official ststistici
that the supply of tobacco available
for the present fiscal year, including
stocks held July LIST and the probable
crop of 1887 will fall short of the ac-
tual home and foreign demand,
FIRsr.-There are 24S, 49S hogshead,
held in all the markets of the world
This includes packages of all kinds
and il is safe TO say does not represent
over 25O000,000 pounds of tobacco.
The actual yield in 1886 was less than
400,0000O0 pounds. Granting that
the growing crop will be onc-half
that Of last year-and the best author
titles put it much below that-and the
1886 crop yet unsold and in barns and
warehouses at 100000 pounds, the
actual available supply for the present
fiscal year will be 500,000000 pounds.
Let us inquire as 10 the wants of
home and foreign manufacturers for
the year. The Internal revenue sta
tistics show total consumption of at
least 223,000,000 pounds in the past
year. AS the last two fiscal years
show an annual increase of 7 per
cent in manufactured tobaccos, this
shows an actual want of 239,000000
pounds for the present fiscal year by
domestic manufacturers.
Shipments of leaf tobacco alone
during the past fiscal year amounted
to 305,000,000 pounds. This was H.
100000 pounds more than in 1886
and 100000 pounds more than in
lSS4-85. Now as stocks in foreign
markets July LIST show a comparative
ly small increase over those of July
1856, it is plain that at least 100000.
900 pounds of American leaf tobacco
will be actually consumed by foreign
countries in the present fiscal year.
Adding the probable foreign and
home wants together it is evident
the 540,000,000 pounds of American
tobacco in round numbers will be
required for actual consumption in
the current fiscal year.
Here is a clear deficit of 100000
pounds of tobacco, for which other
countries have no substitute.
But there is another important fact
10 be added to the above estimate,
which is well known to all persons
posted in the tobacco trade. The
visible supply Of tobacco in the
of the West is not what
appears in the tables published, by a
arge amount. In consequence of
The custom of Remembering hogsheads
passing from one warehouse to
mother, the same hogshead is some
lines counted two, three, or more
lines, so that well informed ware
lousemen assert that there is an ac-
ual shortage of many thousands
# hogsheads, which must be sub
tracted from the actual stock of to-
,acco on hand TO the extent. of at least
., 900 hogsheads.
This shortage however, which is
placed by some at a considerably
anger amount, is not essential TO the
general conclusion of this statement
which rests upon other data. But
I will be felt beyond question ulti-
nately in the trade.
The great and important fact con-
ronts the tobacco trade that after the
wants OF the present fiscal year are
applied not pound of American
obacco could be had at any price
Inless it was taken from fields de-
'oted to next years crop. Where
hen is to be found the supply need
d by home and foreign manufacturers
fler July 1888?
In the light of the above tables,
which are all conservative, the con-
fusion forces itself on the mind of
he whole trade, that the price of to-
'acco, except for a few Insignificant
ancy types, has been remarkably low
his year, and that the memorable
aw of demand renders an advance
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